Packless valve construction



p 8, 1970 c. H. PERKINS 3,528,087

PACKLESS VALVE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 25, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. CHARLES H. PERKlNS HIS ATTORNEYS Sept 1970 c. H. PERKINS3,528,087

PACKLESS VALVE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 25, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet FIG.2

' INVENTOR.

CHARLES H. PERKIN.

BY aumabm HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 8., 1970 3,528,087 PACKLESS VALVECONSTRUCTION Charles H. Perkins, Richmond, Va., assignor to RobertshawControls Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar.25, 1968, Ser. No. 715,656 Int. Cl. F161; 41/10, 11/04 U.S. Cl. 137625.421 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to animproved valve construction of the packless type and has a valve memberfor opening and closing a valve seat of the housing means thatinterconnects an inlet means with an outlet means thereof, the valvemeans including a flexible bellows type boot having a free end securedto the housing means and telescopically receiving a valve stemtherethrough to be attached to the valve seating part thereof with thespace between the valve stem and the boot being filled with anon-compressible fluid means so as to prevent collapse of the bootaround the stem beyond a predetermined controlled degree in alloperating positions of said valve means relative to the valve housing.

This invention relates to an improved valve construction as well as toan improved valve means utilized for such a valve construction or thelike.

It is well known that various valve constructions have been provided inthe past wherein the valve member is secured to the valve housing by abellows construction or the like with the valve stem for moving thevalve member passing through the bellow construction and being securedto the valve member to move the valve member relative to the valve seatof the housing for opening and closing the same, the bellowsconstruction sealing the interior of the housing from the exteriorthereof so that the valve stem can pass through the housing means to beoperated externally of the housing means in any suitable manner.

Accordingly, one of the features of this invention is to provide animproved valve construction of the above type wherein the parts aresimple to manufacture and assemble while providing a long-lasting valueconstruction that is relatively inexpensive and does not requireauxiliary packings for sealing purposes and the like.

In particular, the valve construction of this invention includes a valvemeans that has a bellows type of flexible boot attached integrally atone end thereof to the valve member and at the other end thereof to thehousing so that a valve stem can pass through the boot and be secured tothe valve member to move the same relatively to its valve seat means,the space between the flexible boot and the valve stem being filled witha non-compressible fluid means so as to prevent collapse of the bootaround the stern beyond a predetermined controlled degree in alloperating positions of the valve means even though the boot is subjectedto external pressures.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedvalve construction having one or more of the novel features set forthabove or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved valve meansfor such a valve construction or the like, the valve means of thisinvention having one or more of the novel features set forth above orhereinafter shown or described.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from areading of this description, which proceeds with reference to theaccompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the improved valve construction ofthis invention, the valve construction being in one of its operatingpositions.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and illustrates the valveconstruction in another operating position thereof.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter describedand illustrated as being particularly adaptable to control two inletsrelative to one outlet, it is to be understood the various features ofthis invention can be utilized singly or in any combination thereof toprovide any other desired valving function.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodimentillustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized toillustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the improved valve construction of thisinvention is generally indicated by the refer ence numeral 10 andcomprises a housing means 11 formed from a plurality of housing parts12, 13, 14 and 15 suitably threaded together in the manner illustratedin FIG. 1 to define a first inlet passage means 16 separated from anoutlet passage means 17 by a valve seat 18 and another inlet passagemeans 19 separated from the outlet passage means 17 by another valveseat 20.

The valve seat means 18 has an opening passing therethrough whichdefines a substantially cylindrical intermediate wall 21 and a pair ofopposed substantially frustoconical walls 22 and 23 respectively facingthe inlet passage means 16 and the outlet passage means 17. Similarly,the valve seat means 20 has the opening passing therethrough in such amanner that the same defines a substantially cylindrical intermediatewall 24 and a pair of opposed substantially frusto-conical walls 25 and26 respectively facing the outlet passage means 17 and inlet passagemeans 19 for a purpose hereinafter described.

A valve means of this invention is generally indicated by the referencenumeral 27 and is utilized in the valve construction 10 of thisinvention for controlling or opening and closing the valve seats 18 and20 in a manner hereinafter described.

The valve means 27 comprises a substantially flexible rubber boot 28having one end 29 thereof molded about a metallic insert 30 that has aninternally threaded bore 31 to subsequently threadedly receive athreaded end 32 of a valve stem 33. The flexible boot 28 is so moldedthat the same defines, in cooperation with the metallic insert 30, apair of frusto-conical portions 34 and 35 joined together at theirlarger ends thereof to respectively seat against the frusto-conicalsurfaces 23 and 25 of the valve seat means 18 and 20 in the mannerillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 whereby when the valve member 27 isdisposed in the position illustrated in FIG. 1 the valve means 27 sealsthe inlet passage means 19 from the outlet passage 17 while fluidlyinterconnecting the inlet passage 16 to the outlet passage 17.Similarly, when the valve means 27 is disposed in the other operatingposition illustrated in FIG. 2, the valve means 27 seals the inletpassage 16 from the outlet passage 17 while interconnecting the inletpassage 19 to the outlet passage 17.

The boot 28 has an intermediate bellows portion 36 comprising aplurality of inner annular flutes or ridges 37 respectivelyinterconnected to a plurality of outer annular flutes or ridges 38 in aconventional accordion manner.

The upper free end 39 of the flexible boot 28 has an annular end portion40 disposed against the cylindrical valve stem 33 and defining anannular inverted cup-shaped chamber 41 for a purpose hereinafterdescribed. Also, the free end 39 of the boot 28 has an outwardlydirected annular flange 42 adapted to be disposed between the housingparts 12 and 13, the annular flange 42 having a downwardly directedannular rib 43 received in an annular groove 44 on an inwardly directedannular shoulder 45 of the housing part 13. A flat, washer-like member46 is disposed on top of the annular flange 42 of the boot 28 to permittightening of the housing part 12 to the housing part 13 to fullycompress the annular flange 42 of the boot 28 therebetween withoutcausing twisting of the annular flange 42 during such assemblingoperation.

The space or cavity 47 that is defined between the boot 28 and the valvestem 33 is filled with a noncompressible fluid means, such as grease,other lubricant or the like, which will control the inward collapse ofthe bellows portion 36 of the boot 28 about the valve stem 33 in amanner hereinafter described.

The lower end 29 of the boot 28 has another pair of frusto-conicalportions 48 and 49 respectively having the larger ends thereof joined tothe smaller ends of the frusto-conical valve seating portions 34 and 35and being so constructed and arranged that the same completely engageagainst the valve stem 33 and insert 30 so that any expansion orcontraction of the bellows part 36 of the boot 28 will not efifectexpansion and contraction of the valve seating portions 34 and 35 aswill be apparent hereinafter.

In order to assemble a pro-assembled valve means 27 to the housing means11 to form the valve construction of this invention, the valve parts 13and 14 are first secured together at a threaded interconnection 50thereof and the pre-assembled boot 28 and valve stem 33 are then pulledupwardly through a threaded opening 51 in the housing member 14 with theupper end 39 of the boot 28 of the valve means 27 being fully flexedthrough the valve seat 18 and through the opening in the annularshoulder 45 of the housing part 13 until the same is disposed in theposition illustrated in FIG. 1. Thereafter, the housing part 15 can bethreaded to the threaded portion 51 of the housing part 14 in the mannerillustrated in FIG. 1 and the housing part 12 and Washer-like member 46can be assembled to the housing part 13 at a threaded interconnection 52therebetween to secure the flange 42 of the flexible boot 28 to thehousing part 13 and, thus, seal the inlet passage 16 from the exteriorof the resulting housing means 11.

The dimensions of the valve stem 33 and flexible boot 28 can be socontrolled together with the amount of noncompressible fluid meansdisposed .in the cavity 47 between the boot 28 and valve stem 33 so thatwhen the valve stem 33 is moved to the position illustrated in FIG. 1 tofully seat the frusto-conical valve part 35 against the frusto-conicalsurface of the valve seat means 20 to close the inlet passage means 19from the outlet passage 17, the non-compressible fluid means in thecavity 47 permits the fluid pressure in the inlet means 16 to onlycollapse the bellows part 36 of the flexible boot 28 toward the valvestem 33 in such a manner that the inner flutes 37 are just engaging theexterior cylindrical surface of the valve stem 33 as illustrated in FIG.1 whereby the non-compressible fluid means in the cavity 47 will preventfurther inward collapsing of the bellows part 36 of the boot 28 againstthe valve stem 33. In particular, the noncompressible' fluid means isfully trapped within the chamber 47 and cannot exude or escape out ofthe free end 39 of the boot 28 nor downwardly along the valve stem 33 atthe thickened part 48 of the boot 28 because of the unique constructionof the boot 28.

In particular, as the bellows part 36 of the boot 28 is being radiallyinwardly compressed by fluid pressure Within the passage means 16surrounding the boot 28, such compressive force tends to force thenon-compressible fluid in the cavity 47 upwardly along the valve stem 33and out through the engaging part 41 of the upper end 39 of the boot 28.However, because of the inverted U-cup construction 41 defined by theannular portion 40 in cooperation with the free end 39 of the boot 28,such compressive force on the non-compressible fluid means in the cavity47 causes the engaging part 40 of the boot 28 to more tightly engageagainst the valve stem 33 to prevent the escape of any of thenon-compressible fluid between the engaging part 40 and the stem 33.

When the valve stem 33, either automatically or manually, is movedvertically upwardly from the position illustrated in FIG. 1 to theposition illustrated in FIG. 2 to open the valve seat member 20 andclose the valve seat member 18 so that the inlet means 19 will beinterconnected to the outlet means 17 and the inlet means 16disconnected therefrom, it can be seen that the noncompressible materialfluid means in the cavity 47 forces the bellows part 36 of the boot 28radially outwardly from the stem 33 as illustrated because the volume ofthe cavity 47 is being progressively decreased as the lower end 29 ofthe boot 28 is being moved toward the free end 39 thereof and when inthis collapsed condition of FIG. 2, the internal pressure in the inletpassage 16 cannot compress the intermediate part 16 of the boot 28against the valve stem 33 because of the non-compressible fluid in thecavity 47 prevents such action.

If the non-compressible fluid means in the cavity 47 in the boot 28 is alubricant, such as grease or the like, it can be seen that suchlubricant aids the valve stem 33 in moving not only relative to thehousing means 11, but also in lubricating the action of the valve stem33 relative to the inward flutes 37 on the bellows part 36 of the valvemeans 27 whereby adverse friction -will be substantially eliminated toprevent wear-out of the boot 28.

If desired, the pre-molded position of the boot 27 when assembled to thevalve stem 33 to provide the valve means 27 of this invention could besuch that the natural resiliency of the boot 28 would normally tend tomaintain the valving part 34 and 35 thereof half-way between the valveseats 18 and 20 with the internal diameter of the inward flutes 37 ofthe bellows part 36 of the boot 28 being sized relative to the outsidediameter of the valve stem 33 so that at the extreme down or expandedstroke position of the valve member 27 to the position illustrated inFIG. 1, the clearance between the inner flutes 37 of the boot 28 and thestem 33 approaches or is exactly zero when in the seated position ofFIG. 1.

With this construction, the boot 28 thus has a substantial bag, bulge orbuckle in the extreme upward stem position as illustrated in FIG. 2 andwith the non-compressible fluid means disposed therein, the same willcontrol the collapse or buckle of the bellows portion 36 in its positionof FIG. 2 so as to prevent undue folding and creasing at the flutes 38and 37 so that the boot 28 of this invention will have a relatively longlife.

Therefore, it can be seen that this invention provides an improved valveconstruction as well as improved valve means for such a valveconstruction or the like.

What is claimed is:

1. A valve construction comprising a housing means having an inlet andan outlet separated from each other by a valve seat, and a movable Valvemeans carried by said housing means for opening and closing said valveseat, said valve means having a flexible and hollow boot extending fromone side thereof and having a free end secured to said housing means,said valve means having a valve stem secured thereto and passing throughsaid boot out through said free end thereof whereby movement of saidstem relative to said boot causes said valve means to move relative tosaid valve seat, said boot being filled with substantiallynon-compressible fluid means to prevent collapse of said boot aroundsaid stem beyond a predetermined controlled degree in all operatingpositions of said valve means, said boot having an intermediatebellows-shaped portion defining inner and outer annular flutes, saidinner flutes of said intermediate portion only just engaging said sternonly in the fully extended position of said valve stem.

2. A valve construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said boot isdisposed in said inlet of said housing so as to be subject to inwardcollapse about said stem by the inlet pressure.

3. A valve construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein saidnon-compressible fluid means comprises a lubricant that functions tolubricate said stem for movement relative to said boot.

4. A valve construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said free end ofsaid boot has an end portion disposed in sealed sliding relation withsaid valve stem to seal said fluid in said boot while permittingrelative movement between said stem and said boot.

5. A valve construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein said end portionof said boot defines an annular cup at the free end of said boot thatcauses said end portion to collapse toward said stem as the boot iscollapsed by movement of said valve stem in a particular direction.

6. A valve construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said free end ofsaid boot has an outwardly directed flange, said housing means havingseparate parts secured together and compressing said flange therebetweento secure said free end of said boot to said housing means.

7. A valve construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housingmeans has another inlet separated from said outlet by another valveseat, said valve means opening and closing said other valve seatdepending upon the position of said stem relative to said housing means.

8. A valve construction as set forth in claim 7 wherein said valve meanshas two frusto-conical parts respectively adapted to seat against saidvalve seats.

9. A valve construction as set forth in claim 8 wherein saidfrusto-conical parts respectively have their larger ends joined to eachother.

10. A valve construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein an insert isdisposed in said boot adjacent the valve seating part of said valvemeans, said valve stem being secured to said insert.

11. A valve construction as set forth in claim 10 wherein said bootmolded about said insert to secure said insert thereto.

12. A valve construction as set forth in claim 10 wherein said valvestem is threadedly interconneted to said insert to secure the sametogether.

13. A valve means for a housing means having an inlet and an outletseparated from each other by a valve seat, said valve means beingadapted to be carried by said housing means for opening and closing saidvalve seat, said valve means having a flexible and hollow boot extendingfrom one side thereof and having a free end adapted to be secured tosaid housing means, said valve means having a valve stem secured theretoand passing through said boot out through said free end thereof wherebymovement of said stem relative to said boot causes said valve means tomove relative to said free end of said boot, said boot being filled withsubstantially non-compressible fluid means to prevent collapse of saidboot around said stem beyond a predetermined controlled degree in alloperating positions of said valve means relative to said free end ofsaid boot, said boot having an intermediate bellows-shaped portiondefining inner and outer annular flutes, said inner flutes of saidintermediate portion only just engaging said stern in the fully extendedposition of said stem relative to said free end of said boot.

14. A valve means as set forth in claim 13 wherein said non-compressiblefluid means comprises a lubricant that functions to lubricate said stemfor movement relative to said boot.

15. A valve means as set forth in claim 13 wherein said free end of saidboot has an end portion disposed in sealed sliding relation with saidvalve stem to seal said fluid in said boot while permitting relativemovement between said stern and said boot.

16. A valve means as set forth in claim 15 wherein said end portion ofsaid boot defines an annular cup at the free end of said boot thatcauses said end portion to collapse toward said stem as the boot iscollapsed by movement of said valve stem in a particular direction.

17. A valve means as set forth in claim 13 wherein said free end of saidboot has an outwardly directed flange adapted to be secured to saidhousing means for securing said free end of said boot to said housingmeans.

18. A valve means as set forth in claim 13 wherein said valve means hastwo frusto-conical parts respectively adapted to seat against saidfirst-named valve seat and another valve seat of said housing means.

19. A valve means as set forth in claim 18 wherein said frusto-conicalparts respectively have their larger ends joined to each other.

20. A valve means as set forth in claim 13 wherein an insert is disposedin said boot adjacent the valve seating part of said valve means, saidvalve stem being secured to said insert.

21. A valve means as set forth in claim 20 wherein said boot is moldedabout said insert to secure said insert thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,172,079 9/1939 Boehm 7418.2 X2,743,738 5/1956 Johnson 137-6254 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,116,929 2/1956France. 72,944 4/ 1960 France. 743,622 12/1943 Germany. 843,417 8/1960Great Britain.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner M. O. STURM, Assistant Examiner US. Cl.X.R. 25l335

